A message from the editor

Like most Americans my age, I was brought up on "the four food groups." By the time the square meal took the shape of a pyramid, researchers began wondering why we're so plagued by diseases related to nutrition, why we're so fat -- and why we've been unable to reverse the trend.

Fast forward a few years, when my fourth child turned one and I was still carrying the extra pounds -- baggage that shouldn't be borne by anyone with my family history of diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. A good friend -- even better than I thought, as it turns out -- mentioned the low-carb approach that had worked so well for her. She spoke in somber tones of pounds lost, cholesterol ratios improved, blood pressure readings decreased, energy regained.

Despite a breadbasket full of doubt and cynicism, I began cutting those carbs. I was more curious than convinced. This low-carb stuff is a fad, right? One of those goofy schemes that researchers eventually will brand as a grave health threat. Right?

Wrong. So wrong.

The days went by and the pounds came off. The jeans got looser, the friends began to notice. But most importantly: I felt better -- clearer-headed, more energetic. My "good cholesterol" rose slightly while my "bad cholesterol" took a 30-point nosedive. In the meantime, research increasingly validated this way of eating not just for weight loss, but for general health.

In light of that, some 35 million people are cutting carbs nowadays. But until now, no print magazine addressed the low-carb lifestyle specifically. With Low Carb Energy magazine's debut, we aim to put the life into low-carb lifestyle, with information and ideas you can use every day on your journey to wellness. We'll do our best every other month to bring you the latest on nutrition, tips, inspiration, fitness, weight loss, health -- with more than a little fun tossed in. You won't catch us writing exclusively in terms of weight loss-- we know that thin doesn't necessarily mean healthy or fit. Moreover, "diet" implies something finite -- but for low-carbing to yield its full benefit potential, we must approach it as a way of eating for life.

And that's a lot more fun in the company of others who share your goals. That's why we also offer you an online low-carb community in which we can discuss what works, what doesn't, what's new, what's best. Our home on the Web offers stories, articles and tools that complement this publication -- plus forums in which to share what we all learn together.

This is your magazine, the one our research tells us you've been waiting for. So do let us know what you want to see here and online. What would help you? What aspect of the low-carb lifestyle do you want to hear more about? We await your input for our second issue and beyond...and for now, it is my great privilege to introduce Low Carb Energy's first issue.